Tape applying



Dec. 13, 1955 J. D. ERlCKSON 2,726,783

TAPE APPLYING Filed Aug. 3Q, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mum/r0? Jaw .0 fem/cm United States Patent,

TAPE APPLYING John D. Erickson, St. Paul, Minn, amignor to Minnesota Mining 8: Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware 4 The present invention is directed to the application of lengths of adhesive tape around two opposing edges or corners of an object that adjoin a given surface of. the

obect.

it is particularly directed to the application of lengths of tape around the lower or bottom edges of ob ects, each length of tape to be at right angles to the edge and to pass around the edge and extend for a distance from the edge upwardly along the side surface and inwardly along the under surface of the object toward the center of the object.

It is particularly adapted to seal full telescope cartons with lengths of strong relatively stiff pressure-sensitive adhesive tape.

It provides an apparatus that will apply tape to the lower edge or corner of a carton on both sides of the carton simultaneously as the cartons are succesively moved along an assembly line past a tape applying station. Two tape applying heads are provided at the station, below and on either side of the path of advancement of the cartons. Each carton is halted at the station whereupon the heads are moved in and out below the carton from either side to apply the lengths of tape.

An illustrative embodiment is described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagram of a plan view of a full telescope carton sealing apparatus made according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a carton that has been sealed by the apparatus; and

Figures 4, 5 and Gare front elevations of one of the two tape applying heads of the apparatus, showing the head in three successive positions, respectively.

A horizontal track provides a means for conducting a succession of full telescope cartons 11, 12 and 13 along a path in the direction of the arrow 15 past a tape applying station which, in Figures 1 and 2, is occupied by the carton 12. e

Two movable tape applying heads 16 and 17 are positioned at the station on either side, respectively, of the carton path and below the level of the under surfaces of the cartons. The heads 16 and 17 are mounted on horizontal tracks 20 and 21, respectively, for reciprocal movement along paths that extend at right angles to the object path, inwardly toward the center of the object path in the direction of, the arrows 22 and 23, respectively, and return. The said reciprocal movement operates, in a manner hereinafter described, to apply two lengths of tape 25 and 26, respectively, to the under surface 27 of the carton.

.Two mo'able severing and buffing means 30 and 31 are positioned at the station below the applying head paths and below the carton path, at either side of the carton path, respectively. They are mounted on vertical tracks 32 and 33, respectively, for reciprocal vertical movement which operates in a manner'hereinafter deice 2 scribed, to sever and to apply the two lengths of tape 25 and 26 to the side surfaces and 36, respectively, of the carton after their initial application to the under surface 27.

The sealed carton is shown in Figure 3 with the two lengths of tape 25 and 26 respectively applied to the two opposed lower edges and 41 at right angles thereto and extending for a distance from the edges upwardly along the adjacent side surfaces 35 and 36 and inwardly along the adjacent under surface 27.

Referring now to Figures 4, 5 and 6 which show the detail of the applying head 17 and the severing and bufiing means 31, a supporting frame 45 is'mounted by means not shown, for reciprocal movement along the horizontal track 21. A drum 46 for holding a supply roll 47 of tape 50 is mounted on the frame 45 for free rotation about an axis 51. The axis 51 is parallel with the path of movement of the cartons along the track 10 and at right angles to the path of reciprocation of the head 17 along the track 21. I

A11 applying arm 52 is pivotally mounted on the frame 45 at a point on the frame between thesupply roll 47 and the carton path, for rotation about an axis 55 which is parallel with the supply roll axis 51. The arm 52 extends upwardly and toward the carton path. A tape applying roller 57 is mounted on the end of the applying arm for free rotation about an axis which is parallel with the applying arm axis 55.

The lower end 60 of the applying arm 52 is notched to engage with the notched upper end of a releasable holding arm 62 to hold the applying arm in cocked position with the applying roller 57 below the level of the under surface 27 of the carton (shown in Figure 4). The holding arm 62 is pivotally mounted at 63 to the frame 45. The lower end 65 of the arm 62 is positioned to engage a trip pin 66 when the applying head 17 has moved in the direction of the arrow 23 toward the center of the carton path a desired distance, thereby releasing the applying arm 52, whereupon a spring 67 impels the arm 52 upwardly into applying position, pressing the applying roller 57 against the under surface 27 of the carton with the unsevered length of the tape 50 that extends adhesive side up from the tape supply 47 over a guide roller 68 and thence to the applying roller 57 between the roller 57 and the cartons under surface 27 (shown in Figure 5).

Further upward movement of the applying roller 57 in response to the spring 67 when the roller 57 is clear of the carton (as in Figure 6) is limited by a stop pin 70 which is fixed to the frame 45 and which'the applying arm 52 engages.

The applying arm 52 is moved down from its fully raised position shown in Figure 6, to its cocked position shown in Figure 4, by a stationary cam mechanism shown in Figure 5.

A cam arm 71 is pivotally mounted for rotation about an axis 72 which is parallel with the applying arm axis 55. A counterweight 75 holds the cam arm up against a stop member 76. A cam 77 fixed on the end of the cam arm is positioned to engage a cam follower 80 which is on the rear side of the end of the tape applying arm 52. When the tape applying head 17 is moved toward the carton from the position of Figure 6, the cam follower 80 engages the under sloping surface 81 of the cam and is deflected downwardly, thereby moving the applying arm 52 downwardly until the holding arm 62, impelled by a spring 82, engages the lower end 60 of the applying arm and holds the applying arm in'the cocked position shown in Figure 4.

When the head is moved back in the direction of the arrow 85 in the tape applying stroke, with the applying arm 52 in the position shown in Figure 5, the upper sloping surface 86 of the cam 77 is engaged by the cam folapplied to the under surface 27 of the 3 lower 80, whereby the cam is deflected downwardly, the cam arm 71 turning clockwise about its pivot 72. The weight 75 returns the cam to 'its normal positionshown in Figure 5 after the cam follower has passed over the cam.

I ing position (Figure 5).

whereupon the latter is raised by the spring 67 to apply- This adheres the length 97 of the tape 50 that extends to the right of the applying roller 57, adhesive side up, to the under surface 27 of the carton.

The inward movement of the head in' the direction of the arrow 23 is continued until the applying roller 57 contacts the end of the length 97 of ta surface 36 of the carton by.a buffing roller 90. This is accomplished by an upward stroke of the severing and bulfing head 31 which .is mounted by means not shown, for vertical reciprocation on the track 33. The knife is fixed to the head and the bufling roller is mounted on the j head for free rotation.

Resistance to the upward thrust of the knife 87 against the tape is supplied on the right of the cut by the carton, and on the left by a tape control roller 91 which is positioned above the tape 50 with its peripheral surface in contact with the adhesive side of the tape at a point on the tape between the tape supply 47 and the applying roller'57, preferably relatively close to the roller 57 as shown. The roller 91 is mounted for free rotation on the upper end of an upwardly extending control arm 92 which is pivotally mounted at 95 to the tape applying arm 52, the axis of the roller 91 and the pivotal axes 95 and 55 of the arms 92 and 52 all being paralleL- Upward movement of the roller 91 is prevented by a stop pin 96 on the applying arm 52 which engages the control arm.

The tape control roller 91 serves also to position the leading end of the unsevered withdrawn tape 50 prior to application; A preferred position is shown in Figure 4, wherein the unsupported portion 97 that extends outwardly to the right of the applying roller 57 is substantially parallel with the under surface 27 of the carton. Without the roller 91 to hold the tape up by its adherence thereto, the length of tape between the applying roller 57 and the guide roller 68 might tendto sag and thereby cause the unsupported portion 97 that extends outwardly to the right of the applying roller 57 to point upwardly and make premature contact with the carton. The control arm stop pin 96 is located at a point on the arm 52 to produce a desired positioning of the control roller.

It will be noted that the tape that extends beyond (to the right of) the tape guide roller 68, is shown here as being substantially parallel with the surface 27 to which it is to be applied, when the tape applying arm 52 is in cocked position (Figure 4); and this represents a preferred positioning.

The control roller 91 is restored from the depressed position into which it is forced when tape is being applied (Figure 5), to its normal position shown in Figures 4 and 6, by a spring 100 which draws the control arm into engagement with the stop pin 96.

In operation, tape applying head 17 is started in its cycle of reciprocation from the position in which it is shown in Figure 6, and it is again in that position when the cycle is completed. The said position is regarded as the normal position of the head.

From its said normal position, the head 17 is moved inwardly in the direction of the arrow 23 toward the center of the carton path. As it does so, the cam follower 80 engages the under surface 81 of the cam 77, and the tape applying arm 52 is thereby moved down from its normal raised position shown in Figure 6 to its lowered or cocked position shown in Figure 4 where it is held by the holding arm 62.

When the head 17 has moved sufficiently far inwardly, to the right, in the' direction of the arrow 23, for the lower end 65 of the holding arm 62 to strike the fixed trip pin 66, the arm 62 releases the applyingarm 52 The movement of the head 17 is then reversed and it is moved outwardly, to the left, in the direction of the" arrow 85, through what may be called its applying stroke.

As it thus moves, the tape 50 is pressed against and ad-.

hered to the under surface 27, of the carton by the applying roller 57, forming the applied length 26.

When the applying head 17 has reached the position;

shown in Figure 6, completing its cycle of reciprocation,

the severing and bufling head 31 is moved upwardly along its track 33 from its normal position below the level of the head 17. The tape is cut by the knife 87 and the unattached portion of the cut length 26 that extends outwardly to the left from the edge 41of the carton, isv

pressed against and adhered to-the side surface 36 of the carton by the batting roller 90.

The head 31 is then moved back down to its normal position, and the mechanism is ready to tape the next carton.

The construction and operation of the tape applying;

head 16 and the severing and butting head 30 on the other side of the carton path, is the same as for the above described heads 17 and 31.

The movements of the cartons and of the heads, may be etfected manually or by automatic power means.

In sealing filled full telescope cartons by the application of lengths of tape around the lower edges of the carton, as here shown, it is frequently desirable to press the carton covers down so that the lower edges of the cover are flush with the under surface 27 of the carton during application of. the tape. To this end a pressing means may be provided, if desired, at the tape applying station to maintain a downward pressure on the top of the carton 12 during the sealing operation.

An apparatus made according to'the present invention has been successfully operated to seal full telescope car- 6 tons packed with explosives, two eight inch lengths of one manner shown in Figure 3.

The apparatus described and illustrated herein is shown as being horizontally disposed and the tape as being applied to the-under surface of the object and to the adjoining edges and side surfaces. It will be seen howeverthat the invention can be utilized to apply lengths of tape to any surface of an object, the adjoining edges and the next immediately adjoining surfaces. This may be accomplished by turning the object on its side or end or top as it is being conveyed along the track 10, or the tape applying and cutting mechanism here shown as being below the object path may be otherwise positioned in respect to the path, for example, it may be at one side of the path with the applying head tracks 20 and 21 vertically disposed; and such rearrangements are contemplated as coming within the scope of the inveziign as herein described and claimed. The terms ho ntal, vertical, below, above, etc., are thus relative and not limiting.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for applying two lengths of tape to two opposed lower edges, respectively, of an object, each length extending for a distance from the edge upwardly along the adjacent side surface and inwardly along the adjacent under surface at right angles to the edge; comprising means for conducting the object along a path to a tape applying station, a movable tape applying head at the station at one side of the said object path, a second movable tape applying head at the station at the other side of the object path, the two heads being mounted for reciprocal movement along paths at right angles to the object path toward and away from the center of the object path to apply tape to the under surface of the object, a movable severing and bufiing means at the station below the applying head path and below the object path at one side of the object path, and a second movable severing and bufiing means at the station below the applying head path and below the object path atthe other side of the object path, the two severing and bufiing means being mounted for reciprocal vertical movement to sever and to apply to the sides of the object the lengths of tape that extend outwardly from the under surface of the object to the applying heads after the applying heads have moved through a cycle of reciprocation.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each tape applying head comprises a supporting frame, means for mounting a supply roll of adhesive tape on the frame for free rotation about an axis parallel with the object path and at right angles to the applying head path, an applying arm pivotally mounted on the frame at a point on the frame between the supply roll and the object path for rotation about an axis parallel with the supply roll axis, the applying arm extending upwardly and toward the object path, a tape applying roller mounted on the end of the applying arm for free rotation about an axis parallel with the pivotal axis of the applying arm, a releasable arm holding means engaging the applying arm to hold the applying arm in cocked position with the applying roller below the level of the bottom surface of the object, cam means operative to move the applying arm into engagement with the arm-holding means when the applying head moves inwardly towardthe center of the object path at the commencement of the applying heads cycle of reciprocation, means operative to disengage the arm-holding means when the applying head has moved inwardly a given distance toward the center of the object path, spring means for impellingthe applying arm in a direction to press the applying roller upwardly into applying position against the under surface of the object with an unsevered length of withdrawn tape that extends adhesive side up from the tape supply to the applying roller between the applying roller and the under surface of the object when the arm-holding means is disengaged, a tape control means comprising an upwardly extending control arm pivotally mounted on the applying arm for free rotation about an axis parallel with the pivotal axis of the applying arm, a control roller mounted on the control arm for free rotation about an axis parallel with the pivotal axis of the control arm, the control roller being above the tape with the peripheral surface of the control roller in contact with the adhesive side of the tape at a point on the tape between the tape supply and the applying roller, spring means for impelling the control arm in a direction to move the control roller upwardly, and a stop means for halting the said upward movement when the control roller has lifted the tape into a given position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

